“Why is it called the Penelope room?” Simon asks.
“Each room is named after a different woman from our family,” she says with a smile. “Penelope was our great grandmother. From what I hear, she was funny, hardworking, and the life of the party.”
“It’s a lovely room,” Simon says, checking out the four-poster bed covered in an antique quilt. “Thank you.”
“Sleep well,” Gabby says with a wink and closes the door behind her.
I turn to Simon and sigh, happy to finally be alone with him.
“Come here,” he says quietly. I comply, walking to him and stopping just before we touch. “How do you feel?”
“Tired. Happy. Ready for a shower.”
His lips twitch as he drags a finger down my cheek. “Let’s take that shower. Then I want to curl up in that bed with you and hold you while you sleep.”
I blink at him. “No sex?”
He smiles now. “Are you disappointed?”
Yes. “It’s no big deal.” I shrug and turn away, but he catches my arm at the elbow and spins me back to face him, kissing me deeply.
“Trust me, when I’m inside you tonight, it will be a big deal.”
“Promises, promises.”
“I love your sassy side.”
“Is that all?”
He laughs and turns to the bathroom, pulling me behind him. “Come on, sassy, let’s get cleaned up so I can remind you what a big deal I am.”
Chapter Thirteen
~Simon~
“This is the best breakfast I’ve ever had,” I say the next morning. We’re seated at the breakfast bar, watching Gabby bustle about.
“Thank you,” Gabby says with a grin.
“She’s always been a good cook,” Charly says as she munches on fruit and sips her coffee. She’s fresh faced this morning, her hair brushed and up in a tail. She looks young and carefree, and because I know her, well-fucked.
It was the first time we made love without making much noise. I do prefer to have privacy so she can be uninhibited, but last night was just as much fun. We smiled and covered our moans with kisses, as if we were young and trying to hide from our parents.
Charly delights me at every turn.
“What are your plans for the day?” Gabby asks as Rhys walks in the room. He snatches a slice of bacon, shoves most of it in his mouth, then swoops his wife into his arms and bends her back into a dramatic kiss, making her laugh.
“Yuck,” Sam says, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Do you have to do that in front of people?” he asks.
“Well, I’m married to her, so I can do it whenever I please.”
“You did it before you were married to her too,” Sam points out and takes a piece of bacon. “It’s pretty gross.”
“It’s not gross,” Gabby says and passes Sam a plate of pancakes with blueberries and syrup. “Ailish is sleeping late today.”
Just then, the baby whimpers through the baby monitor.
“Oh, let me go get her!” Charly says and jumps up. “I never get to get her when she wakes up.”
“Go ahead. She’ll need a diaper change.”
“I got this.” Charly winks at me and disappears up the stairs.
“So what’s next?” Gabby asks me when Charly is out of earshot.
“Excuse me?”
“What are your plans,” she says and pulls more pastries out of the oven. “And if you say that this is just a casual thing for you, I will stab you with this knife.”
“She’ll do it,” Sam says while shoving pancake in his mouth.
Rhys leans his hips against the countertop, crosses his arms, and simply listens.
“Good morning, sweet baby girl,” Charly croons through the monitor. Ailish giggles. “Oh, aren’t you just the sweetest little thing in the world?”
“She’s adorable with the kids,” I say.
“You’re not getting out of my question.”
“Honestly, we don’t have a plan. And I’m not saying that because I think it’s casual; it’s the truth. I can tell you that I’m pursuing your sister. She’s an amazing woman, and I enjoy her very much.”
“I don’t know how I feel about that answer,” Gabby says after a moment. “But I can see that you’re nice to her, and I don’t think you would intentionally hurt her.”
“Of course not.”
“Because if you did…well, let’s just say there are plenty of places to hide a body in the swamp.” She smiles brightly, and for the first time, I think I might be truly afraid of a woman.
“Stop bullying him,” Rhys says with a laugh and kisses her on the head. “Although, it is impressive.”
“I’m tougher than I look.”
“I believe that.”
“I have some work to do out back, why don’t you come with me?” Rhys says to me and gestures for me to follow him. “Gabby’s not subtle about being protective over her siblings. Then again, none of them are. Have you met all of the brothers yet?”
“Just Declan,” I reply.
“He’s the laid-back one,” Rhys says with a grin. “I’d like to be there when you meet Eli and Beau, but I think I’ll miss it. Maybe Kate will film it for me.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Depends.” He leads me across the field to an older barn. Inside is workout equipment. “Do you love her?”
I stop cold and watch Rhys as he sits at a machine and begins lifting weights. But I don’t really see him. I see Charly. Her smile, her laugh, the way she feels when I’m inside her.